1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the fields of computer software and networking and, more particularly, to a technique through which applications can obtain contextual vehicle information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most vehicles include a multitude of sensors that produce output, which can be presented to a vehicle driver to inform the driver of a condition pertaining to the vehicle. Sensors can indicate, for example, fuel level, oil pressure, engine temperature, vehicle speed, battery charge, and the like. Other vehicle sensors, such as a thermometer, a compass, and a Global Positioning System (GPS), can indicate an environmental state surrounding the vehicle.
Many remote applications would benefit from receiving vehicle input, and being able to take programmatic actions responsive to this input. For example, a gas station application may want to present a coupon to a customer low on gas when approaching an associated gas station. In another example, a parent may want to monitor the fluid levels and warning indicators on a parent-owned vehicle used by a teenager.
Conventional technologies, however, have failed to overcome difficulties associated with remote applications utilizing contextual information from vehicles. One technical difficulty relates to communications between several mobile vehicles and several remote applications hosted at a fixed location. While wireless communications are possible with a vehicle using methodologies such as those used for mobile telephony and vehicle GPS, these methodologies generally require either a constant communication connection or periodic status polling/status response messages to be conveyed between each vehicle and each remote application. Such communication methodologies are designed for point-to-point information exchanges and do not provide easily scalable solutions capable of being ported to vehicle/application communications. That is, when the number of remote applications and the number of vehicles grow, communications complexity and cost can grow geometrically.
One sociological difficulty in permitting remote applications to obtain contextual vehicle information pertains to driver privacy and safety. Vehicle contextual information can be used to track a driver's location, habits, and routines to an extent that makes many drivers extremely uncomfortable. Further, companies providing access to the vehicle contextual information can have liability and customer relation concerns when using unsecured information conveyance techniques. What is needed is a scalable, cost efficient, and secure technology for permitting remotely located applications to obtain contextual vehicle information.